Collage is a great activity for everyone. Children enjoy ripping paper and using their glue sticks. Adults seem to let go of the pressure to make something perfect and enjoy the meditative aspect of looking for colors and building a visually beautiful piece.
I can't remember where my idea came from exactly, but I know that Soule Mama has a version in one of her books. I had a friend who turned kids art into quick journals during camp, so they could work when they weren't in class.
For the past three years, I've provided a journal for our annual vacation. We camp with an extended group of people and having a camp journal allows for people to jot down their experiences, draw a picture or make of note of what needs to be remembered for next year. This year I asked the kids for help. To help add weight to the cover we started with a manilla envelope. One daughter did the front and the other worked on the back. (Although to be fair they are both the front and there is a divider in the middle)
I drew the approximate size I wanted the book to be and then the kids had a large canvas to work on. Once they were finished with their part, I cover the entire collage with either a matte gloss medium or modge podge. (Modge Podge tends to be sticky in the humidity, but sometimes I can only find one or the other glue) I cut it down to size with my paper cutter and then estimate the amount of paper I want in the middle. I cut the inside paper from my stash of found paper - it should be just a little narrower than the cover.
What makes me love this project so much is the binding. I called my local print shops to see what type of binding they offer. Most offer the simple plastic kind - not sure of the name - but it always pops off in my opinion. I found a local company that will bind it for me usually with in a day, I skip the optional plastic cover and voila! They have a great feel to them, even if they cost as much as buying a journal from a big store.
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